In a conditioning experiment, a sound is paired with a brief puff of air to the eye of the rabbit. After several pairings, the rabbit ultimately blinks its eye when it hears the sound. Which of the following is TRUE?
A) The blinking of the eye serves as stimulus.
B) The puff of air serves as the unconditioned stimulus.
C) The puff of air serves as the conditioned stimulus.
D) The blinking of the eye serves as the conditioned stimulus.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) is the stimulus that naturally elicits a response without prior learning. In this experiment, the puff of air is the UCS because it elicits the natural response of blinking without any prior learning. The sound, on the other hand, is the conditioned stimulus (CS) because it is paired with the UCS (puff of air) to eventually elicit the conditioned response (blinking of the eye). Therefore, B is the correct answer.

In a Conditioning Experiment, a Sound Is Paired with a Brief